Vacuum cleaner



` oct. 28,1941.v

LEATHERs 2,260,325

vAdUUM 4CLEANER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 3, 195g VEN OR.

Oct. 28, 1941. wl I EATHERS 2,260,325-

' VACUUM CLEANER Filed Aug; 5, 1958 2 sheets-sheet 2 jPatented Oct. 1941 UNITED STAT Es l.PATE1\1T AOFFICE VACUUM CLEANER Ward Leathers, Haworth, N. J., assignor to Quadrex Corporation, New York, N. Y.

Application August 3, 1938, Serial No. 222,817

2 claims.

My invention pertains to the nozzle or carpet contactingportion of a vacuum-cleaner and has to do particularly with that type of nozzle wherein motive power is used for beating the carpet.

The object of my invention is to produce such power-driven beating device for use on any type of vacuum-cleaner wherein the power available electro-magnetic power-application other than a rotary motor because where such an additional motor is used for operating the beating equipment in a vacuum-cleaner nozzle the bulk is too great and the nozzle too high to go under furniture. In that case it becomes almost another vacuum-cleaner in bulk and weight` Such arrangements have proved unsatisfactory. My arrangment and power-application keep the nozzle small in bulk and suiiiciently low to pass under low furniture as is now possible with plain suction nozzles used on hose-type machines.

A further .object of my invention is to obtain a. very amply powered oscillating mechanism for beating purposes and to produce an electromotively actuated, oscillating or beating mechanism with a minimum of electric complication, i. e., the complete elimination of current makeand-break mechanism in the nozzle itself. I .have obtained this desired result by drivingthe make-and-break or timing mechanism off the motor used for driving the suction blower.

A further object of my invention is to'produce a beating mechanism ofthe above type, in the type of nozzle which lifts the carpet ,from the floor, beats it, passes the incoming air over the point of beating, makes-and-breaks the incoming air for increasing its speed during pulsation, and to obtain such carpet lifting-and-beating function on all types of carpets, high or low4 pile, without any manual adjusting whatsoever; In other words, the nozzle is automatically adjusted to the carpet where heretofore nozzles for the lifting-and-beatlng purpose have required adjustments for different types of rug or carpet.

My power-driven, oscillating, beating nozzle cleaners. It is especially applicable to the c anister or hose-type machines now in use whether built with horizontal or vertical axis; it is applicable to the types of Vmachine that carry the motor-blower-unit rigid with the operating handle, and with slight modification the device as shown may be rigidly joined to the conventional bag-type cleaner.

Other objects will appear in the following detailed description of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, diagrammatic crosssection.

Figure 2 is a partially broken plan view of the under side of the nozzle.

Figures 3, 4, and 5 show side, top, and end views v respectively of the regenerative springs.

Figure 6 shows an application to a vertical axis canister-type machine.

Figure 'l shows a diagrammatic, partially cross-sectioned view of a timer.

Figure 8 is a wire diagram.

A rigid, lateral, nozzle member I, Figs'. 1 and 2, preferably a die-casting, is covered by a flexis applicable to all types of portable vacuumible rubber shoe 2. Die-casting I is joined'by means of a hollow trunnion joint 3 to any means.

of air intake 4 to the vacuum-cleaner (where the nozzle is used on a conventional bag-type cleaner this joint may be omitted). The type of flexible trunnion joint as shown is fully set forth in my co-pendingv application Serial No.-

vpreferably of hard fibre, runs substantially the length of the opening on the under side of the nozzle and is joined to a supporting member 9 vof substantially equal length made of magnetiron. This member is joined in suitable manner to sections of clock-spring I0 which are in turn joined at their forward end, in a hingeable manner, to the nozzle casting I. A rubber partition'I2 joined to the top of the beater bar in suitable manner is also joined to the case I for purposes of keeping the incoming dirt-laden air within a confined nozzle chamber I2. Disposed beneath the beater bar mechanism ljust recited is a metal bed-plate I3 which is hingeably joined to the case I at points adjacent the junctures of the clock-spring III. Anchored securely to the bed-plate is a series of electro-magnets I5 supplled'with coils I6. The beater bar 8, due to Where this nozzle is the springs I0, is free to move up and down in any arcuate manner; the bed-plate with its magnets is free to move with respect to the nozzle in a similar manner. The beater bar mechanism is disposed immediately above the electrof magnets in such manner that when the magnets are electrically activated, beater bar 8 is drawn violently downward. Pads Il on the rigid nozzle member I and I8 on the bed-plate I3 aid in holding the nozzle suiiiciently free from the oor to permit suction-lifting of the carpet and the intake of most of the admitted air at the front edge of the nozzle which makes cleaning close to base-boards and the like practicable,

It is not the intention that the magnetic eect should be sufcient to do any suitable beating of the carpet were it not for the all-important regenerative springs, hereinafter described, used in conjunction therewith.

Disposed at intervals along the beater bar mechanism Just described, aresprings 20. Figs. 3, 4, and 5, which regenerate the downward acting energy applied to the beater bar by the magnetswhen the current is broken. Immediately above these springs is a substantially similar series of springs 2I for resisting the upward motion of the beater bar and regenerating the overl throw. A suitable separator- 22 is disposed bel tween these springs, and bracket-like supports 23 3 hold the spring mechanism in fixedl relationship to the bed-plate I3. Notches 25 cut yin'the'magnet iron 9 permit a suitable telescoping of the beater bar unit and the spring mechanism and suitably dispose a portion of the member 9 between the tips of the springs 20 and 2 I. It should be noted that these' springs are so designed as to comprise a two-way-stop-spring-mechanism, i i. e. the springs that may be deflected in their j desired direction only from a ixed position.'

In Figure 6 I havevshown my nozzle applied to a vertical axis canister hose-type vacuumi cleaner 30 in which the motor 3I (used for creat- 1 ing the vacuum and hence the air-flow in the machine) is geared to a timer 32 electrically connected by leads 33 through a hose 34 and an extension tube or' wand 35 to the nozzle 36. The

' extension tube'35 is also provided with a lamp and lighting device 31.

Any type of suitable timer .may be employed.

` A suitablev form, shown diagrammatically in Fig.

7, comprises a rotating carbon brush 40 support- 'i ed in a holder 4I iirmly joined to worm-gear, 42, suitably housed in a case 43, driven by a worm on `the motor shaft 44, and electrically connected `through leads 45 and 46. Make-and-break is accomplishedl by methods common to ldistributors used on internal combustion engines. The speed lcycle of this timer is establishable by the ratio Ibetween worm-gear 42 and worm 44, and represents that ratio with the R.l P. M. of th motor.

For illustration, if the motor'normally turns 12,- 000 R. P. M., a suitable speed for centrifugal air compressor common to vacuum-cleaners, andthe `Bear ratio is 25 to 1. the electric impulses sent from this timer to the nozzle-would be eight per second. vThe duration of the impulse is deter-v mined by the length of arc of the contact member 59 in the housing 43.

A wire diagram, Fig. 8, shows the coilsl i6 in the.nozzle wired in parallel from'the timer 32. The motor 3i4 is controlled by the switch 62 on the machine and the lamp 63 is parallel with the coils. Y In operation this nozzle beating mechanism functions by the laws of vibration. The electric impulses are so timed with respect to the characteristics of regenerative springs and oscillating member as to amplify the vibratory action in the most eiiicient manner. When the weight of the beater bar mechanism, the spring throw and resistance, the energy of magnetism, the timing and duration of energization 'are in proper relationship a very powerful oscillating motion is obtained on the beater bar. While .the speed of oscillation can be changed at will by the gear ratio, this'speed must bear a correct relationship to the natural oscillatory periodof the moving parts in the nozzle. When the best proportions are obtained this electro-magnetic power device reaches relatively high electro-motiveA eillciency and the beating force obtainable with a modest current (such as, 200 Yto 300 watts half the time) is very ample for thepurposes set forth.

Having disclosed my invention in this specification suilcient for clear understanding by those 'familiar with these arts, I wishfto make noteof the fact that the constructions and methods used are susceptible towide variation in practice by the application of mechanical skill, without departing from the spirit an'd novel character of my invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a suction cleaning tool with a suction in- I face undergoing cleaning, and with means interposed between the said members for holding the armature normally free from the electro-magnet. 2. Inv a suction cleaning tool with a. suction inlet having parallel lips forming the two longer sides of said inlet. a carpet-agitating-beating member disposed between said lips and comprising an armature, an electro-magnetmember also disposed within said tool, said members pivotally joined to one of said lips inwardly of the cleaning tool and in such manner that their weights are carried substantially independentlyl of each other by the napped surface undergoing cleaning, and a spring joined to one of said members and positionedv to co-act withthe second said member when the said magnet intermittently and magnetically pulls the two said members together.

I WARD LEATHERS. Y, 

